The overall number of attacks on tankers last year rose to 22 per cent of the total, a figure that many industry sources blame on the diminshing crew numbers and primitive security systems on such ships.

Crew numbers have halved in the past 25 years due to technological advancements and supertankers carrying up to 500,000 tons of oil are regularly manned by a maximum crew of 22 people.

The Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence have acknowledged the consequences of piracy, which is believed to cost the shipping industry an estimated £300m a week.

In a bid to address the problem, Bill Rammel, a Foreign Office minister, will meet with Numast to develop strategies.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I know it is correct to say words 'blind eye'. What is Nelsonian eye?

Nelson ordered that the signal be acknowledged, but not repeated. He turned to his flag Captain, Foley , and said "You know, Foley, I only have one eye — I have the right to be blind sometimes," and then holding his telescope to his blind eye, said "I really do not see the signal!" -----------

Additionally: "Nelsonian" injects an air of whimsicality into the cliché, as if there could possibly be some other kind of "blind eye" in the hearer's mind. You could describe it as "humorous over-clarification".